Board and Staff

Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter Chair

Toronto Chapter Chair

Yaelle Gang is chair of the Toronto Chapter of Equal Voice and is passionate about encouraging women to get involved in politics at all levels of government. She is currently also the editor of an investment publication for Canadian pension plans. Prior to this, she was...

Victoria Chapter Co-chair

Victoria Chapter Co-chair

Central Vancouver Island Chapter Chair

Former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister of Canada

The Right Honorable Kim Campbell P.C .; C.C .; QC She was the nineteenth and first female Prime Minister of Canada in 1993. Previously, she was Minister of State for Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Minister of Justice and Attorney General and Minister of National...

Senate of Canada, British Columbia Former Progressive Conservative Cabinet Minister

Date of Birth: May 26, 1935 Senator Pat Carney was summoned to the Senate of Canada on August 30, 1990. She was the first Conservative Senator to be appointed from British Columbia since 1931. Senator Carney is a member of the Standing Senate Committee on...

Former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister of Canada

Sheila Copps was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. She entered politics in 1981 by becoming the first Liberal in over 50 years to represent the provincial riding of Hamilton Centre. In 1984, Ms. Copps ran for federal office and was elected to the House...

Former Conservative cabinet minister, Ontario

Janet Ecker began her political career in 1995 as the elected representative for the suburban riding of Durham West. Since then she has served as Ontario's Minister of Community and Social Services; Minister of Finance; and as Ontario's Minister of Education. Prior to her election,...

Former Liberal Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Judith Jacobson Erola, PC (born January 16, 1934 in Sudbury, Ontario) is a former Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1980 to 1984. She was a member of the Liberal Party. Prior to her career...

Former Mayor of Toronto and is currently the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission

Barbara Hall (born 1946) is a Canadian lawyer, public servant and former politician. She was the 61st mayor of Toronto, the last to run before amalgamation. She was elected mayor of the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto in 1994, and held office until December 31, 1997....

Member of Parliament for Halifax, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, and former leader of the Nova Scotia NDP

Member of Parliament for Halifax- June, 1997 to Present NDP Foreign Affairs and International Development CriticLeader of Canada's New Democrats -1995 - 2003Leader of the Nova Scotia New Democrats -1981-1994Member of Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly - 1981 - 1995 Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1944,...

New Democrat, first woman elected to lead a federal party in Canada

Audrey McLaughlin, P.C., O.C., from Whitehorse, Yukon, was the Federal Member of Parliament for Yukon, from 1987 to 1997. She served as Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 1989 to 1995, the first woman elected to lead a federal party in Canada....

Former leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario, Thunder Bay

Lyn McLeod (born 1942) served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 2003. McLeod was a cabinet minister in the Liberal government of David Peterson from 1987 to 1990, and was herself the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 1992 to 1996....

Liberal Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, Chair, House of Commons Standing Commitee on the Status of Women

Anita Neville was elected as Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre in November 2000 and re-elected in June of 2004 and January 2006. Anita serves as Critic for Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Previously, Ms. Neville was Chair of The Standing Committee on the...

Liberal Senate of Canada, Quebec

Born in Saint-Jean d'Iberville, Senator Pepin studied nursing with a specialization in obstetrics and gynecology. Her early career focused on women's health, leading to a lifelong dedication to social justice and human rights advocacy, with a special emphasis on women and children. She was appointed...

Conservative Senate of Canada, Ontario

Date of Birth: January 6, 1942 A native of Toronto, Ms. Nancy Ruth holds a Master of Arts degree in the Applied Behavioural Sciences from Whitworth College, was granted a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from York University in 1969 and has obtained...

National Chair

Equal Voice National Chair Nicole Foster has served on the Board of Directors since 2015 and has been an active volunteer during that time, including chairing the Communications committee as well as the historic Daughters of the Vote program. Nicole has been a long-time and...

Vice-Chair

My name is Sharmila Setaram and my personal contribution to social change is a commitment to the empowerment of marginalized communities. Specifically, creating opportunities for girls and women to develop their leadership skills, take on leadership roles, find mentors, and feel equipped to participate in...

Immediate Past Chair

Lynne Hamilton has been a proud member of Equal Voice for close to 10 years and has served as National Chair since 2014. She is currently running for the position of Past Chair. In her current role, she guides the organization and has secured significant...

Treasurer

Eleni Bakopanos is presently the interim Vice-President of the Quebec chapter of Equal Voice/A Voix Égales, has worked with Equal Voice while serving as a Member of Parliament and is putting her name forward for one of 7 non-chapter national Directors. Ms Bakopanos was first...

Secretary

Pam is deeply committed to advocating for women’s equality and the advancement of women in public life. She would be thrilled to draw on her extensive political and legal experience to contribute to the governance and vital work of Equal Voice as a member of...

National Director-at-Large

Chenthoori Malankov is a daughter of the Thamil diaspora she is a care-giver, artivist and grassroots organizer from Toronto with a Bachelor’s degree from York University in Sociology & Womyn Studies. Utilizing alternative platforms such as arts, education models she designs and facilitates workshops with...

National Director-at-Large

Maymuna Mohamed is a spoken word artist out of Toronto and has been noted as a storyteller like no other. Her Artivism portrays a special narrative that always leaves the crowd wanting more. She's opened for legendary hip-hop band, The Roots and performs around The...

National Director-at-Large

Marilyn Verghis is an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) professional and passionate feminist activist. She graduated from McGill University's Institute for Studies in International Development with First Class Honours in International Development, Women's Studies and Economics. Marilyn's academic, professional and personal passions converge on the...

Yukon Chapter Chair

Sarah Frey resides in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. On the Traditional Territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nations, and the Ta’an Kwäch’ä Council. Sarah is the Marketing & Development Director for the Yukon Arts Centre, and writes freelance on social policy and gender issues for Northern...

BC Chapter Co-Chair

As acting Interim Co-Chair for Equal Voice BC, Thoren is excited and honoured to run for the position of BC Chair. While Thoren has been a supporter since the inception of Equal Voice, it was this past year that she had the opportunity, through her...

BC Chapter Co-Chair

My names is Olivia Dixon, I'm 23 years old and live in Burnaby BC. I am interested in running for the BC Chapter Co-Chair position. Recently I had the honour of participating in the Equal Voice initiative Daughters of the Vote, as a delegate for...

Alberta South Chair

Lisa Skierka is Executive Vice President of SkierkaTech Inc. and Business Development Lead of Great Excavations Inc. An experienced public relations professional with significant international experience, Ms. Skierka is passionate about Canada’s energy, agriculture and environmental sectors. Ms. Skierka is known for her complementary expertise...

Manitoba Chapter Co-Chair

Delaney Coelho is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, with a Bachelor's degree in Political Studies and Psychology. She previously worked for the Government of Manitoba in a political advisory role for the Minister's of Jobs and the Economy and the Minister of Family...

NCR Chapter Co-Chair

W. Scott Thurlow, a lawyer, was called to the bar of Ontario in 2003. From 2012-2014, he served as the President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA), where he represented the interests of the producers of Ethanol and Renewable Diesel in Canada. He currently...

National Spokesperson/Executive Director

Named one of the Women's Executive Network Top 100 Powerful Women in Canada in 2014, Nancy was born and raised in a highly political family in Newfoundland and Labrador. After living in a variety of rural, urban and northern communities, she attended Smith College in...

Chapter Liaison

Zita joined the Equal Voice team in 2014, as Chapter Liaison. She played a key role for Equal Voice during the development and the implementation of the initial Daughters of the Vote program in 2016. Zita’s role has grown from being outwardly focused to focusing...

Director of Programs

For more than 15 years, Jacqueline has been an advocate for social justice, equity and inclusion. Originally from Montréal, she moved to Toronto in 2009 to pursue a Masters degree in Immigration and Settlement Studies, and stayed for nearly a decade working in the non-profit...

Regional Coordinator -The Atlantic

Gina recently moved to Ottawa from Newfoundland where she worked as a freelance journalist and Community Information Officer for Epilepsy Newfoundland and Labrador (ENL). She graduated from St. Francis Xavier in 2004 with a BA in Literature and from Algonquin College with a Journalism Diploma...

Regional Coordinator - Ontario, British Columbia and Yukon

Cherie is a Hong Konger-Canadian, born in Toronto. When she was two, her family moved back to Hong Kong. Cherie moved back to Kitchener 2010, where she completed her high school degree. Cherie moved to Ottawa, Cherie has attended and graduated from the University of...

Regional Coordinator -The Atlantic

Paige Kezima spent her childhood on a farm on Treaty 4 territory in rural Saskatchewan. She moved to Regina in 2008 to pursue post-secondary education. While pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a certificate in Public Relations, Paige was elected as the Vice-President...

NCR Chapter Co-Chair

Joanne is a senior communications and public affairs professional. Since 2010, she has worked in strategic communications, media relations, issues management and public affairs for clients in Canada's finance, defence, technology and manufacturing sectors. In addition to her role as NCR Chapter Co-Chair with Equal Voice,...

Quebec Chapter Chair

The Path of a dedicated woman It is with enthusiasm and dynamism that Jacinthe Gagnon defends environment causes as well as women’ rights She sits as administrator of non-profit corporations dedicated to the environment and social cohesion. Among others, Le Quartier vert du Marigot' Laval,...